Chapter 3: Ob-la-di Ob-la-da

Desmond takes a trolley to the jewellers' stores,
Buys a twenty carat golden ring.
Takes it back to Molly waiting at the door
And as he gives it to her she begins to sing
In a couple of years they have built
A home sweet home
With a couple of kids running in the yard
Of Desmond and Molly Jones.
Happy ever after in the market place
Desmond lets the children lend a hand.
Molly stays at home and does her pretty face
And in the evening she still sings it with the band.
Happy ever after in the market place
Molly lets the children lend a hand.
Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face
And in the evening she's singer with the band.
And if you want some fun – take Ob-la-di Ob-la-da.

La, la, la, la, life goes on...

Emma and I carry a large cake box into the kitchen of the Dot, while Manny carries a bag of paper plates. Emma gives an annoyed glance, and Manny puts on a face of innocence– pouty mouth, wide eyes, scrunched up nose.

"Long nails," she says innocently, flashing her freshly manicured hand.

J.T. runs past us, Toby in tow. Toby squirts green frosting on the back of J.T.'s shirt, and J.T. makes a leap for the tube. He bumps into Emma as we just barely get the box stable before putting it on the table. An open bag of flour pours its contents down Emma's denim skirt.

"You are so dead!" yells Emma, looking around quickly for anything throwable or squirtable.

Toby laughs, hiding behind me. It's not that hard since I'm fairly taller than him. J.T. sees Toby's plan and does the same.

"You wouldn't go through Ash to get to us," says J.T. confidently.

Emma has found a bag of sugar and gives me an apologetic look.

"This was my favorite skirt," she says sweetly before decking us all with sugar.

I blink and feel a hundred grainy particles rush down my shirt, down my bra, near my ears. Manny points and laughs. J.T. and Toby cackle.

"Em!" I cry, but then I see myself in the reflective surface of the top of the stove and crack up. With my blue eyes and powdery body, I look like the Pillsbury dough boy.

"I look totally eatable," I say, whirling around for everyone to see.

J.T. hands me a cloth, then curiously eyes me up and down.

"Uh, would help...but you know, Liberty and all," he said.

I put my hands over my chest, and Emma pushes him to the side. She hands me a few paper towels for my face, mouths "sorry", and I start shaking the sugar out of my hair.

Spinner and Darcy walk through the door, hand in hand. Even I have to admit those two are adorable.

"Umm...I thought we were going to let Caitlin decide on the cake decorations, not bake. I could've bought my spatula," says Darcy.

Toby rolls her eyes, and nudges Manny, who tries to hide a smile.

"Dude, this is a restaurant, not a cafeteria. No food fights" said Spinner, giving me a dirty look.

"Wow, Spin, you actually sound...responsible," I say.

Maybe the sugar was causing me to hear things.

Liberty walks in and kisses J.T. on the cheek. "Caitlin's here," she says.

Caitlin walks in and immediately smiles. That's what I love about Caitlin. She's almost never upset, so easy-going. I wasn't like that until I got back from London. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, her hair pulled back in a high ponytail.

"Looks like we've already started decorating," says Caitlin, flicking some sugar off my shoulder.

"Yeah, Ashley's the bride that stands on top of the cake," says Toby. "Her fellow ditched her."

"Shut up, Toby" I say.

A quick flash of a little groom with a guitar and a red-haired girl with a video camera side by side on a three-tiered wedding cake came into my mind. I took a deep breath, then shook some more sugar out of my hair.

"Dude, it looks like dandruff," says Spinner.

Another moment of Spinner's short-lived maturity.

Caitlin saw my face fall and seemed to take that as a cue for her to get the ball rolling.

"So Demetria knows I want German chocolate...," starts Caitlin.

Emma nods. "With edible carnation-type flowers, gold frosting trim, and the proper spelling of Caitlin. Trust me. Ever since Mom's wedding cake fiasco a few years back, I got this. We just need for you to decide on the ornaments. So..."

Emma pops open the cake box and everyone peers in. Caitlin's smile grows wider than I've ever seen.

"Awww," says Manny, looking over Toby's shoulder. "They've got turtledoves with candy hearts around them."

"Turtledoves mate for life," gushes Liberty, as J.T.'s arms wrap around her.

I look at Spinner and Darcy, who exchange a kiss. Darcy's eyes light up when she sees a little Cupid aiming his arrow at the white icing.

"Excuse me," I say, giving them a forced smile, and heading for the washroom right outside the kitchen.

I really wanted to help Caitlin, but it feels so stuffy in there. I tell myself I don't know what's going on, but I do. There were all these couples, so excited, even just to see plastic boys in diapers and birds that never get sick of each other and...who am I kidding? I want to be excited too. Who wants to be alone, covered in sugar? That's me. The sweet spinster.

Caitlin tapped me on the shoulder. I'm surprised she followed me out. I see her ring and gaze at it for a few seconds, then look away.

"Your ring is so gorgeous," I say.

"It's heart-shaped. A bit retro," she says. "Joey knows my tastes.."

"I wish I had someone that knew me that well," I whisper. "I mean, I had someone..."

Caitlin nods. I realize I don't have to say anything else.

"Caitlin...would you hate me if I didn't come? I mean, I wish you and Joey the very best, but..."

"Ashley, I'm just glad you're here now. Of course, I'd love for you to come."

"I'd love to come too. It's just that...ah, this is so weird. I don't want to come alone, I guess."

Caitlin gives me a little hug. "Think about it. That's all I'm asking."

She disappears, hearing J.T. joke about putting Freddy Krueger somewhere on the cake, and I head into the washroom. I crack open the window to get some air, and see a few people I know from school talking over hamburgers and fries through the small opening. I love the feel of the air, and hopefully no one sees I'm watching them. In the middle of the Dot, I see Peter fiddling with camera, talking to someone else whose face I can't see. The person has dark, curly hair, and a nice, tall build. It looks like he's putting some film into Peter's camera, and they're talking animatedly.

A group of students move and I can see him clearly. He's in a Death Cab T-shirt, his leather jacket, grinning happily. He looks so happy. Why was I thinking that he wouldn't? I hadn't seen him in a year, since last summer. I remember the smell of his aftershave, the glint in his eyes, the sweet, geeky charm of his voice. This was stuff I knew ever since we sat down to talk about Taming of the Shrew all those years ago, but they always seem so fresh, so nice. Then there's less clear things, like the warm hold of his arms around me that I haven't felt in so long or his nose against my neck as I played my keyboard while sitting on his lap. The room quiets a bit, and I swear I can only hear him and Peter.

"I'm going to tape the whole thing for them," says Peter. "Promised Emma."

"So she's planning the whole thing?" says Craig, looking astonished.

"Pretty much. Demetria's really the planner, but she's kind of a flake. Everyone's helping. Spinner, Darcy, Liberty..."

"Ashley?" says Craig.

"Yeah, and Ashley," replies Peter, who looks about as curious as I am.

I can barely breathe, waiting for his next words.

"I'm glad," says Craig, who hands Peter his camera.

He stands up and walks out. Peter's eyes follow him, puzzled. I lean against the back of the washroom door and feel my heart quicken as Manny squeals, "Someone's heating up Cupid in the microwave!"